Blog of Interest: Laura Normandin

One of the great things about 'studying' a brand like Martha Stewart is learning more about the people who help make it so strong...and so beautiful. One such artist is Laura Normandin, who has been working in the crafts department at Martha Stewart Living since the mid 1990s. With her shock of red hair and bright blue eyes, she would look right at home meandering through the heather in the Scottish highlands, but she is a Kansas girl who now lives in Park Slope Brooklyn with her husband Ben and her cat Maggie.
Laura's website and blog, called Wren Handmade, are veritable wells of inspiration, which is not surprising. She has been responsible for some of the most wonderful craft projects in the magazine, working alongside Hannah Milman to build a department unlike any other in the media world. They have been entirely successful. Below are some highlights from her website, a showcase of some of her artistry:

Laura made this beautiful book of illustrations, which she calls an "Anthology of Internal Exploits and External Joys." Handbound using treated Japanese paper, the imagery that Laura has sketched seems almost ephemeral and ghostly on the translucent pages.Laura is a very talented jewelry designer. I learned a while ago that some of her earrings are sold with us at Anthropologie! (Laura is not only "Very Martha" she is also "Very Anthro"!)Laura's work has a vintage feel to it: the look of beautiful age. This project, called "The Mercy Seat: A Book of Symbols" is a much more bold approach. Using cutouts of material and paper, she creates a lovely record of graphic icons in a three-ring cardboard binder.

On her blog, Laura announces that she will be co-hosting some of the sewing events on April 1rst at the Stitch Fest being held at Omnimedia in Manhattan. Click here for details on how you can buy tickets. (One of the events is already sold out!)